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Nihon Shōkai
Nihon Shōkai (日本商会) was a Japanese camera distributor, already active in 1937. Advertisement in Asahi Graph, June 16, 1937, reproduced at Gochamaze. Its address from 1937 to 1944 was Nihonbashi-ku Dōri 2–4 in Tokyo (東京市日本橋区通り二ノ四). Advertisements reproduced in , pp.58, 78 and 107, in Gochamaze and in Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku, pp.40 and 64. Many of the products distributed by Nihon Shōkai before 1945 were also jointly advertised by Honjō Shōkai. The company survived the war; in 1949 it was located at Bunkyō-ku Tōdai-seimon-mae (東京都文京区東大正門前), facing the main gate of the Tōdai university. Advertisement in February 1949, p.27. Nihon Shōkai sold a Walz camera in 1937 and various Walz accessories before and after the war; it was certainly the owner of the Walz brand name, and perhaps the predecessor of Walz Shōkai. Cameras distributed as main distributor * Walz (3×4) * Waltax (before 1945, together with Photo News Sha or Honjō Shōkai) Leaflet Waltax 4.5 / 6, c.1940. Advertisement in Hōdō Shashin April 1942, reproduced in , p.107. Advertisement dated 1942 reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura. advertisement in Asahi Graph, March 3, 1943, reproduced at Gochamaze. Advertisement on the second cover of , February 15, 1944, reproduced on p.64 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. * Taroflex (together with Honjō Shōkai) Advertisement in Hōdō Shashin May 1943, reproduced in , p.78. Advertisement on the second cover of , February 15, 1944, reproduced on p.64 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. * Alfax (together with the Honjō Shōkai) Advertisement in Asahi Graph, December 22, 1943, reproduced at Gochamaze. Other * Walz filters and hood (c.1939–48) Advertisement on p.6 of , December 15, 1939, reproduced on p.40 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. Advertisement on p.3 of , April 20, 1948, reproduced on p.81 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. * Walz accessory rangefinder (c.1939) * Walz close-up rangefinder device, copy of the Contameter (c.1939) * Foca-Finder (c.1941, see Semi Minolta) Noma, p.71, attributes this accessory to "Walz". * Walz accessory rangefinder (c.1948–9) Advertisement on p.3 of , April 20, 1948, reproduced on p.81 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. * Walz self-timer (c.1948–9) * Walz flash unit (c.1949) * Walz tripod (c.1949) * Walz enlarger, with Walz Anastigmat f/4.5 (c.1940) Notes Bibliography * . Advertisement by Nihon Shōkai in February 1949 (p.27). * * Advertisements on p.40, corresponding to p.6 of the December 15, 1939 issue, on p.64, corresponding to the second cover of the February 15, 1944 issue, and on p.81, corresponding to p.3 of the April 20, 1948 issue. * Nihon Shōkai and Photo News Sha. Waltax 4.5 / 6. Leaflet published c.1940 (date not indicated). Document reproduced in this Flickr set by Rebollo_fr. * Noma Toshio (野間俊夫). Kyorikei-tsuki kamera no henpo (距離計付きカメラの変遷, Evolution of rangefinder cameras). Gendai Kamera Shinsho (現代カメラ新書) 65. Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1979. No ISBN number. Pp.70–1. (On the Foca-Finder.) Links In Japanese: * Advertisement for the Waltax dated 1942, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura * Advertisement by Nihon Shōkai and Honjo Shōkai published in the 22 December 1943 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the Japanese camera page of the Gochamaze website Category: Japanese distributors